Thermal gas-cut-off device.



A. C. SCHWAGER.

THERMAL GAS CUT-OFF DEVICE.`

' APrLIoATIon FILED un. 1a. 190s.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

kWhnesses;

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST C. SoHwAeEn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented cer-l tain new and useful Improvements in Ther# malGas-Cut-Of Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a thermal gas cut-oli device' for shutting olfthe supply of s to house meters and piping in case of ile, when thetemperature in the vicinity of the cut-olf device rises to a point whereit will melt a fusible element melting int, and it is especially adaptedto cut olf tliii) supply of gas from city mains to a house meter whenthe temperature in thev vicinity of the meter rises high enough to meltany portion of the meter casing.

In the accompanying drawings I -have illustrated one embodiment of theinvention, in which Figure 1 -is a `central sectional view through thevalve-casing of the device, illus- 25 trating the valve in its openposition, in

which lit is held by the fusibleelement. 2 is a similar view showing thevalve forced to its seat byl thel release of a valveactuator, which isnormally heldunder restraint. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of thevalve and valve-casing, the section being taken in the line 3-13,Fig. 1. Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures ofthe drawin The thermal gas cut-oil' em vention contains preferabl atapered plug valve, such as 2, working 1n a valve-casing, such as 3,having a tapered seat. The valvecasing 3 has the usual threaded inletand outlet openings, such as 4 and 5,' the 1former of which willgenerally` be indirect communication with a street main leading from thesource of supply, connection being made to the mainl throu h suitablepiping, while the outlet 5 wil A be in communication through similarpip` g with the ordinary meter. .It will be noticed that the inlet andoutlet openings are connected by a passage 4which intersects the taperedseat of the casing, dividing the valve-seat into twoportions, one ofwhich is indicatedc by Gland the other by 6*. At the'lower end of thevalve-casing a plug, such n li', may be placed for the pur of permitting`access to the ying my i'nspecification or Letter-i recent. Applicationmea Api-i1 1s, 190e.- "su-m No. nasse.

having a low,

-ho ding the valve normally abl will'be connected with f UNITED STATES.PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST C. SCHWAGER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFJTO JU LIUSHOLLANDER,

, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

THERMAL GAS-CUT-On DEVICE.

Patented oet. 13,' iooe:

movin accumulations of'h drocarbons, etc. This p u 7 is screw-three edinto the bottom of t ev casing as'shown, so as tofit, tightly thereinand prevent 'escape ,of gas. T e/upper end of the tapered opening in thecasing may be closed gas-tight in any suitable wa as for example, bymeans of a thread cap, such as 8, which in this case forms a art of a`cylinder 9 in which the stem of tli)e valve 2 works. The stem of thisvalve is indicated at 10. The upper part of C the valve-casing isexternally threaded to engage, corresponding internal threads inthe cap8, whichucap and the up r end of the casing are preferably forme withground seats, such asfll, for the purpose of making .the connectiongas-tight without using packing.. l v. j At theupperend thereof the'cylinder 9..is

' a manner similar to that justfde'- closed 1n l scribed by a threadedcap 12 which also has internal threads en aging external threads at theupper end o? said cylinder. A gasa'. f tight t of the cap on the upperend of the cylinder may be made in a manner substantially similar tothat just. described inA confnect'lon with the cap 8. The groundan'nular seats of the cap 12 and the coactingend of the cylinder 9 areindicated at 13. g The valve-stem shown is of two diameters, the upperportion thereof being reduced and being encircled in thisinstance by astrong coiled slpring 14 constituting a power device normal y tending toclose the valve, but which is normally held in restraint in a mannerwhich will be hereafter described. This sprin 14 rests at its lower endagainst the shouler 15 ofthe valvestem. and at its upper end bears `aainsta packing-ring, such= as 16, provided or the purposeofpreventingescape of gas through the in which the valve-stem works. This pac 'ngxis held rmly in place, by the s ring "1 4, v

Normallythe valve 2 is held) open-Shy a Y device which embodies afusible element havin a lowmelting point. The means for open may be ofbut the fusible element generally be a connectorof soft solder properlycom ined with the valve toy hold the same securely in the open position;Preferthe means for holding the'valve open manual valve-operatmg'meanssecured to the stem of the .valve,

sulta ble type,

B6 interior of e casing for'the purpose of rethe constructiony shown onein which 11o Joining theptwo main parts. The fusible'4 element islndicated at 20 as a piece of solder of the proper size and strengthconnecting the threaded portions of the bar 19, the ends y of which havestop-nuts, 21 and 22, for holding the handles 17 and 18 inthe desiredposition. The lower ends o f these handles are formed in this case withcurved Ycam surfaces which permitthe valve-stem and thereby the valve tobe raised readily. The normal positions of the arts are shownv inFig. 1. The `positions oV the parts in case of a ir'e when the fusible'element V20 has been melted are indicated in Fig. 2. It will be noticedthat the tapered plug gas valve 2 has been forced downward by the spring14, and that the` tapered surface of the valve is in close' contact withthe coacting tapered surfaces 6 and 6 of its seat, cuttingofcommunication between the main and the meter. y

The tapered surfaces of the valve and its seat in the casing are bothground in order that there may be noileakage of as past the valve after'the latter has been el at 23, for the double purpose of providing aspace into which accumulations of hydrocarbons in the casin may beforced and to enable .the loweren of the valve to be tapered to a sharpedge, such as 24, which will assure its cutting through any suchaccumulations and finding a positive seat when the spring is released.

It will be obvious that thev normal positions ofthe parts shown in Fig.1 will remain unchanged until the connector 20 is melted, when the forcenormally holding the valve open being removed the sprin will come intoaction and effect a positive c osing of the valve to'the osition shownin-Fi 2.

By means of my inventiony the added danger of gas escaplng in houses,stores, etc., when a lire occurs, is obviated, as the thermal cut-olfdevice will automatically cut olf the supply to the meter and preventescape of gas into the house or other building even if the piping ismelted or broken Y.on the house side of ther meter. l

VVh'a-t I claim is:

1. Athermal gas cut-off device, embody-l ing a valve-casing'connectedwith a source f of supply of illumlnating gas and having a groundtapered seat, a' long ground tapered plug gas valve in said cas1ng,/`avalve-steni 'nojecting from said valve, guiding means in which saidstemis positively ,guided and freely movable throughout the movementI ofremovable 'for permitting cleaning of the valve-casing,

o sed. They valve itself is preferably bored out, as shown.

the valve from its open to its closed position, a -power device normallytcndin to close said valve, and means for normal y holding said valveopen, said means embodying a fusible element clear ofsaid valve-stem andhaving substantially all' of its surfaces directly exposed and alsohavinga low melting oint. P2. Athermal. gas cut-nii device,;embody'Iving' a valve-casing connected with a source of sup ly of illuminatinggas and having a ground) tapered seat and also having a clean` ingopening at the bottom of the casing, a plug tightly fitting said openinga ground tapered plug gas valve in said casing having at its small-endan opening forming a knife-edge around said end of the valve, apowerdevice normall tending to close saidV valve by movement 1n the directionof the Ivalve-axis, and means for normally holding said vvalve open,said means embodying a fusibleelement having a low melting point.

l3. A thermal gas cut-oft'V device, embodying a valve-casing connectedwith a source of supply of illuminating gas and having a groundtapered-seat, a long ground tapered plug gas valve and a valve-stemformed in one piece and one forming a continuation of the other, meansfor guiding said valvestem at opposite ends thereof, a springsurrounding said stem and normally tending to close said valve Vand holdit to lts seat, and means for normally holding said valve open, saidmeans embodying 'a fusible element clear of said valve-stem and havingsubstantially all of its surfaces directly exposed and alsohaving a lowmelting polnt. 4. A thermal gas cut-off device, embodying a valve-casingconnected with a source ythe other, means for guiding said valve-stem atopposite ends thereof, a spring surrounding said stem and normallytendlng to close sa1d valve and hold it to its seat, means in'- cludin apair of pivotedhandles connected to sai valve stem for Y moving thevalve away from its seat in opposition to the power of the spring, andconnecting means-joining said handles for normall holding saidvalveopen, said means embo ying a fusible' element having a' low m'eltingpoint.

Signed at New York, inf the county of New York, and State of New York,this 11th day of April, A. D. 1908.

' .AUGUST C. SCHWAGER. W'itnesses: EDGAR A. FELLows, yC. S. CHAMPION.

